Want to add some color to your home without breaking the bank? Learn how to create a beautiful artificial flower arrangement using budget-friendly DIY options!
Since our weather has been gradually improving lately, I’ve been spending time on outdoor projects, such as my most recent full grown arbors just installed! So fun!
However getting the patio ready for outdoor sitting has also been a priority. So I’ve been recently playing with outdoor furniture, shuffling things around.
View grain sack stripes on wicker chairs HERE
These resin wicker chairs were purchased a couple of years ago which I love! Over the years, I’ve always created side tables of sorts for them such as retro star stenciled stools HERE.
However about a year ago, I came across a resin wicker outdoor table on Facebook marketplace that was a fairly close match to the natural resin wicker chairs tone!
I’ve positioned the table on the lawn in several locations but could never come up with a permanent home for it. So I snapped a few pictures and was about to sell it on marketplace when I decided to carry it upstairs onto the patio for one last trial.
Why didn’t I do this sooner?! The resin wicker table fit perfectly on the patio, plus it adds so much more functionality to the space now!
However, with spring still too cool for our growing season, the outdoor sitting area looked a little barren when I sat outside.
So to speed things up pretty-wise, I decided to gather up a few supplies from my own stash to come up with some spring-like blooms to enjoy right now!
Within about an hour, the end result is a wonderful and effortless centerpiece that adds a realistic look for spring decorating, using artificial flowers, plants and whatever else you may have on hand!
Want an instant burst of spring right now too? Here’s what I did:
Creating A Realistic Artificial Flower Arrangement On A Budget
Flower supplies you’ll need:
A wicker basket with a handle (for this look)
Various faux florals with stems and realistic lifelike blooms
Table runner to cozy things up
An LED table top lamp for evening ambiance
Twiggy branches snapped off a few of your own trees or bushes
Select a basket or crate for the flowers
1. For a dash of warmth, start with a wicker basket or rustic crate or vases with texture.
Chiming in with the natural wicker look of the table and chairs, I selected a vintage wicker basket with a tall handle, much like a giant easter basket. The scale felt right for the table and I liked the wicker’s tone and texture, while also adding a dash of rustic realism to this arrangement.
Choosing faux plants and flowers that look realistic
2. Gather up faux plants and faux floral arrangements or single flowers that look as realistic as possible.
I then gathered up a few faux plants and faux dollar tree flowers I had in my stash I used from a previous outdoor project.
Also consider bits and pieces of artificial plants, wreaths, garlands, faux wedding flowers or silk flower arrangements you may have on hand. Anything that offers maintenance-free décor is fair game! However choosing high-quality flowers that resemble real flowers is the key to this looking a little more realistic.
Adding plants to a wicker flower basket
3. Fill the basket with the artificial plants first.
I’ll be using the thriller, filler, spiller technique, which essentially means, some flowers and plants will thrill with height, some will fill in the middle, and some will spill over the sides.
For the filler part, I first placed 4 faux plants in the the wicker basket of varying types, while in close proximity to size.
The faux plants fill up the basket really nicely, while adding some different variations to the greenery, which gives a more natural look than everything ‘so perfect’.
Plus, the plants also act as flower frogs for the next step! No need for florist foam this round.
Inserting taller artificial flowers
4. Insert tall faux flowers anchored through the plants.
For the thriller step, I inserted some tall faux purple flowers evenly throughout the plants so they were well supported.
I chose the purple flowers, because many spring flowers tend to be purple in real life. Have you ever noticed that too?
Adding smaller faux flower details
5. Position some smaller silk flowers that fill and spill throughout the arrangement.
Going back to the filler with a partial spiller, I then positioned some small sprigs of faux baby’s breath into the plants, scattering them around, attempting them to hang over the edge of the basket a little.
Baby’s breath is one of my favorite flower fillers, so I was delighted to come across some faux baby’s breath that actually looked pretty realistic! It’s a good faux flower to have on hand.
Faux succulents could be another unique alternative!
Inserting faux tall grass and real branches
6. Insert tall grass plants and some twigs throughout the arrangement for height and a natural rustic vibe.
Next, is a combo of thriller and spiller!
Some grassy faux sprigs were divided, then polked throughout the arrangement.
Why twigs work so well
But here’s the key to most of my floral arrangements, which gives them a charming casual vibe… and that’s by using twigs!
Small twigs add that natural imperfection and warmth only wood can provide. There are no two alike, so an interesting mesh of twigs always give off a realism ambiance unlike anything else. Plus, they are completely care-free, offering long-lasting beauty to most any flower arrangement.
I snapped off a few twiggy bare branches from my honeysuckle vine, then inserted them throughout the flower basket arrangement. I arranged them so they would branch off in all different directions, some up, some down, while extending beyond the basket parameter.
The completed artificial flower arrangement
And the end result is a twiggy, rustic and pretty realistic faux flower arrangement that tells a spring story very well!
The burst of green plants, plus spring flowers along with twiggy branches offer a fresh spring vibe with a nod towards things starting to just green up and grow, don’t you think?
And as luck would have it, I just landed this cute black and tan patterned table runner at the local thrift store. Placed under the wicker flower basket, it helps anchor the arrangement while giving the space more visual warmth. Especially helpful when you are working with a glass table top.
My goodness… this artificial flower arrangement is probably one of the cutest I’ve ever made! Now I can have a little spring decor in the midst of enjoying my outdoor coffee moments, while I patiently wait for our growing season to come into full swing.
Adding an LED lamp for evening ambiance
Have an LED lamp handy? It adds a lovely soft ambiance to the evenings that replace string lights. Plus you can carry it to the grill if you’re cooking an evening meal. I highly endorse rechargeable LED lights like this and use ours all the time!
My light is from the fall 2024 The Jilly Box, however HERE is a similar scalloped edge lamp I found on Amazon.
Can you even?! And I was going to get rid of this table!
My now little outdoor sitting space looks homey, comfy and ready to entertain! The beauty of fresh flowers, even if they are faux, always offers a natural touch to any home decor space.
I also love how this basket arrangement is safe enough to bring indoors with two wandering cats. It looks gorgeous on my kitchen island, dining table and living room coffee table as well!
However I think I’ll enjoy it in this outdoor space for now, since it’s all about getting outside as much as possible these days!
Think you’ll try pulling an artificial flower arrangement together for your spaces? What will you use?
View other ways to decorate with FLOWERS HERE and PLANTS HERE
See more easy patio decorating ideas HERE
Check out many other outdoor decorating ideas HERE
Creating A Realistic Artificial Flower Arrangement On A Budget
Supplies:
- rustic wicker basket or crate
- faux realistic flowers
- artificial plants
- branches from the garden
Instructions:
- Choose a wicker basket or rustic crate for a casual vibe.
- Fill the inside of the basket with faux plants.
- Insert taller faux flowers into the plants.
- Add smaller neutral flower fillers such as faux baby's breath, allowing some to spill over the edge of the basket.
- Insert real branches into the arrangement for a rustic natural appearance. It really works!
- Set on top of a cozy table runner to warm it up even more.
- Enjoy your beautiful artificial flower arrangement indoors or out, for as long as you wish!
Such a charming way to hurry spring along, and I love the idea of using twigs for that perfectly imperfect touch that Mother Nature does so well. Enjoy your little outdoor space, Donna, I’ll be watching from afar while the seasons on this side of the world turn blegh and dreary.